Direct-to-Consumer Mattresses: 3 Ways Retailers Can Weather the Storm

Seemingly overnight, mattress sales have gone direct to consumer.

But just because companies like Casper are revolutionizing the way consumers shop for mattresses doesn’t mean your retail operation has to suffer. Are direct-to-consumer mattress companies giving you nightmares?

Here are 3 tips to keep you sleeping soundly… and your retail mattress business in the black.

1) Quality Wins

Mattress companies taking a direct marketing approach love to talk convenience. You’ve heard the shtick a thousand times: “We’re cutting out the middle man to save you time and money.”

And that’s no joke.

Mattress startups like Leesa and Yogabed are appealing to the Millennial market with no-fuss web sales, and even “feel good” incentives like eco-friendly design and social activism. Leesa, for example, donates a mattress to homeless shelters for every ten it sells, taking a page from Tom’s tried-and-true playbook.

At the end of the day, though, quality wins — pure and simple. Direct to consumer mattress companies offer some pretty compelling money-back guarantees, and that’s largely because they have to — it’s impossible to truly “try out” a mattress sold exclusively (or, at least, nearly exclusively) online.

Which brings us to this…

2. The Showroom Sells

For the direct to consumer crowd, attempts to showcase products offline are limited: Keetsa, for instance, maintains just four retail showrooms, all located on the east and west coasts. Not so for traditional brick-and-mortar mattress retailers, where consumers get to try out product first-hand before purchase.

This is perhaps your greatest weapon against the direct to consumer crowd, but you’ve got to set the stage. On the showroom floor, it’s all about experience.

And don’t forget the kids. Decision-making mothers (and fathers) don’t want to shop with little ones jumping on the mattresses. Consider creating a special “kids’ zone” with books, games, cartoons and more.

3. Meet People Where They Are

With a few notable exceptions, direct to consumer mattress companies are focusing on the immediate sale at the expense of forging long-lasting relationships with their customers. As a mattress retailer, you’ve got an amazing opportunity to build trust among consumers with both online and in-store marketing tactics. Using marketing automation and funnel-based sales techniques on the showroom floor, we’ve found great success meeting people where they are in the buying process.

No matter where a person is in the process (research, consideration, decision, etc.), always have an offer that speaks directly to their need. That means creating compelling marketing assets like infographics, blog posts, even ebooks that don’t just highlight your product, but also identify your brand with your customers’ lifestyles.

Don’t Panic

The rise in direct to consumer mattress sales presents real challenges to traditional brick-and-mortar retailers. But tremendous opportunity awaits those who invest in online digital marketing strategies (and offline) to identify with consumers and directly address their pain points.